The present invention relates to a paint processing system in use with an image processing apparatus which converts separated color signals, which are produced by reading an original document, into record signals of developing colors, selects a record signal from those record signals in each developing cycle and records and reproduces an image of the original document, and is capable to paint out a closed area in an original document by a specific pattern or color.
A recent image processing apparatus is able to readily pick up full color read signals in the form of separated color signals by using a CCD line sensor. The separated color signals are converted into record signals of toner or another color material. A laser beam, which is driven by the record signals, is applied onto a photo-sensitive structure. With the laser beam applied, a latent image is depicted on the photo-sensitive structure. The latent image is subjected successively to developing, transferring and fixing processes. Finally, a color image of the original is reproduced. The separated color signals as analog signals derived from the CCD line sensor are converted into digital signals of high gradation. The image read can be stored, converted, adjusted, and composed in the form of the digital signals. Accordingly, various types of image edits are possible. By the technique, a color copying machine, color printer, facsimile, and the like may have various functions, such as trimming (image extraction), masking (image erasure), insertion of logo type, coloring, paint, color conversion, negative/positive inversion, and enlargement and reduction, in addition to the function of merely reproducing the color image.
In circle graphs, a specific area or areas in the circuit are frequently painted with a specific color or colors or a specific pattern or patterns. The same thing is true for bar graphs. In drawings, particularly complicated drawings, it is convenient to color a specific portion for good discrimination. In a technique to realize this, binary image data of an original document is first fetched through a prescan. A point within an area to be colored is then designated as an edit point. Finally, the closed area containing the edit point is painted out with a color or a pattern.
The painting technique paints only an area within the closed area containing the edit point with the color or pattern, with the edit point as a start point. Accordingly, when a character with a closed line or a closed loop is present in the closed area, the closed portion is not painted. For example, a character "S" is completely painted with color. In the case of characters "P" and "O", the closed portions are not colored. Thus, non-color portion appears in the designated closed area. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 24.
In the coloring processing, a bit map memory is initialized to "0". Prior to a copy scan, a prescan is applied to an original document to read an image on the document. The read data is depicted in the bit map memory. Then, a paint-out processing is applied to the depicted data. In this case, the read data, which is depicted in the bit map memory, is as shown in FIG. 24(a). As shown, a character "P" is enclosed by a square frame. "1" is assigned to black pixels, and "0", to white pixels. A pixel marked with "*" is designated as an edit point in the bit map of the memory. Upon designation of the edit point, "N", which is different from "1" is applied successively to the pixels in an area between the pixels "1", as shown in FIG. 24(b). The application "N" starts from the edit point. Accordingly, the pixels within the closed portion of the "P" remain "0 " as the initial value, as shown. Under this condition, if the copy scan is performed, and an image processing is applied to the contents of the bit map memory, the resultant image is as shown in FIG. 24(c). As shown, only area between the square frame and the figure "P", both being filled with slanted lines, is colored as indicated by mesh. The closed area of the "P" remains uncolored.
This undesirable phenomenon also occurs in graphic patterns with closed areas. To avoid the phenomenon, the edit point must be designated for all of the closed areas in graphic patterns and characters. The edit point designating operation is troublesome and time consuming.